Jesse Steinmetz bound over for trial in death of Mary Moore

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MILWAUKEE -- Jesse Steinmetz, a man suspected of running over a woman laying in the road, was bound over for trial in court Friday morning, May 11th. The woman killed is 45-year-old West Allis resident Mary Moore, whose son was killed hours after she died.

In Friday's preliminary hearing, the medical examiner, a police officer and a detective testified before the judge ruled there was enough evidence to hold a trial.

Steinmetz has been charged with killing Moore and claims he thought he hit an animal. However, a search warrant obtained by FOX6 News shows authorities believe they may know why Moore was laying in the road in the first place.

The search warrant says Moore was seeing arguing with 43-year-old Kerry Olson at a nearby bar. Olson is the father of two of Moore’s children, including 22-year-old Thomas Olson who died hours after his mother while in a car racing to the hospital after learning about his mother’s accident, and believing she was taken to the hospital, injured.

The search warrant says Moore and her ex-boyfriend left Capt’n and Nick’s bar together. When police found Olson’s car, they found noticeable damage to the bumper, white fibers at the damaged area and human hair on the rear driver’s side brake light.

FOX6 News has learned Moore and Olson have a violent history that dates back to well before the bar. In 1994, Moore asked for a restraining order against Olson after allegedly being grabbed by both arms and head butted, telling the courts that Olson, in the past, knocked her teeth out.

Moore eventually dropped the restraining order.

Police are now sending evidence to be tested to see if their violent relationship led to a chain of events leaving a mother and son dead.

"I'd have no way of determining if it'd be one or multiple vehicles based on the injuries," replied Dr. Brian Peterson.

Peterson added the evidence indicated Moore was alive when she was lying in the road before a car struck her. During the trial, the state will try to prove it was Steinmetz who killed her before fleeing the scene.

Steinmetz is due back in court May 30. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.